1. Protect people before paperwork
If there is immediate danger, an injury, fire, hazardous release, or a traffic emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service and follow responder instructions. Use your employer’s incident procedures and the vehicle manufacturer’s guidance. Do not stand in traffic, crawl under a disabled unit, touch high-voltage equipment, open pressurized systems, or attempt a roadside diagnosis to complete this checklist.
Once safe, tell dispatch whether occupants and the vehicle are secure. Stop using the vehicle when continued operation may be unsafe or cause further damage. Qualified responders and repair professionals—not this page—must determine safe movement and repair.
2. Route each need to the right organization
| Need | Who to contact | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate threat or injury | Appropriate emergency services | A service-contract inquiry is not an emergency call |
| Safe recovery or towing | Your contracted roadside/recovery provider or other qualified assistance | Check dispatch and payment terms; this site does not send help |
| Possible mechanical contract claim | Administrator listed in the actual contract | Opening a claim does not approve repairs |
| Collision or other possible insured event | Your insurer using its reporting instructions | A service contract is not commercial auto insurance |
| Rerouting jobs and vehicles | Fleet manager, dispatcher, and relevant operations staff | Operational spending is not automatically reimbursable |
3. Record observations from a safe location
- Unit number, VIN when safely available, vehicle description, and odometer/engine-hour readings if accessible without risk.
- Time of incident, where the vehicle is located, and the appropriate recovery contact. Share precise location only with people coordinating the response.
- Symptoms as reported by the driver: noise, warning message, loss of function, or the sequence of events. Label an unknown cause as unknown.
- Trailer, load, commercial application, and upfit information relevant to recovery and repair.
- Recovery destination, dispatch instructions, and an internal incident reference. Collect photos only if safe and authorized by fleet policy.
4. Obtain administrator instructions and select a capable facility
Retrieve the correct contract and ask who must initiate the claim, which facility requirements apply, what documents are needed, and what to do outside business hours. A public instruction page from another plan is not an emergency exception to your agreement.
Portfolio’s contract-holder page directs roadside requests to the number in the customer’s contract when assistance is included. That provider example is not a dispatch number or benefit offered by this site.
5. Pause at diagnosis, teardown, and repair decision points
Have the repair facility explain the diagnostic scope and whether disassembly is necessary. Ask the administrator about required authorization first. Ask the facility what the fleet would owe for diagnosis, teardown, reassembly, storage, and transport if the failure is not covered.
Record diagnosis authorization separately from approval to repair. Keep the authorization reference, approving party, date, scope, and dollar conditions. If the technician discovers additional work, obtain the applicable supplemental approval before expansion. Do not assume a claim number or a fleet manager’s permission to spend binds the administrator.
6. Plan the workday without predicting a claim outcome
Assign someone to reschedule jobs, arrange substitutes, and update technicians or customers as appropriate. Before renting a replacement, confirm operational suitability and cost. If seeking a contract benefit, ask separately about qualifying downtime, prior approval, days or dollar limits, vehicle restrictions, and receipts.
Example: a service van is safely recovered, but its technician cannot transfer the required equipment to an ordinary rental car. The fleet may need a different operational plan even if a transport benefit exists. Document actual needs and expense without promising that a contract will pay for them.
7. Close the loop and preserve the record
Track the final diagnosis, authorized work, completed repairs, invoice submission, payment responsibility, vehicle release, and return to work. Follow qualified facility and fleet safety procedures before returning the unit to service. Preserve records and unresolved issues for any further administrator review.
Use the printable tool as a handoff sheet between dispatch, fleet management, and the repair contact. Blank fields remain incomplete; the sheet does not certify the vehicle safe or the claim payable.
Scope and responsibility
These are educational planning guides, not claim decisions. Commercial Vehicle Protection does not receive, adjust, adjudicate, or approve claims, authorize repairs, or dispatch emergency or roadside services. Use the administrator and assistance contacts on your actual contract. Public provider examples do not establish products, coverage, or partnerships offered by this site.